Sunset

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16

Chapter 1

The summer sky was beginning to dim as Luna raised the moon, with Celestia lowering the sun in return. Ponyville was getting ready for the night; closing up shops, the drunks loitering around, and everypony stumbling in the darkness as they got to their cottages. The summertime warmth filled the air, making everypony relaxed. A few warm breezes from the east were expected for that night, nothing unusual.

The lights outside of the medical facility switched on, and the “24/7” and “Hospital” sign lit up red and white. A bright yellow pony with a poofy magenta mane trotted out of the medical facility. She had a happy trot in her step and a huge smile on her face. Her eyes flashed as she swung her stethoscope around her neck, and she started to whistle.

A sudden northern breeze blew through the town, mysterious and cold. In response, Goldie shook her tail, trying to realign the green elastic band at the base of it. The breeze didn't bother her, it was her tied back tail being a nuisance that bothered her for a bit.

Goldie trotted down the lit up the main street. She then trotted down a street leading to a little cottage, two levels and with pretty accents.

She trotted up to the door, whistling happily and smelling the smell of fresh bread and roses. She opened the door and hung up her stethoscope on a hook near the door. She smiled and trotted to the couches and sat down. On the floor near the couches, a unicorn sat, using his magic to play a game called Team Foaltress Two. Goldie tapped his back, and the stallion turned around. He looked at Goldie and smiled.

“Goldie! I missed you! How was your day?” The stallion said, pulling Goldie next to him as he paused his game. Goldie hugged him and smiled.

“It was awesome! I did a double hoove realignment surgery, and it turned out great! The patient is definitely going to heal up quickly!” Goldie said with a smile.

“Good! I sold a Colt rifle today, now we have five hundred more bits!” The unicorn said with a big smile.

“Good job Brownie!” Goldie said, hugging the stallion, whose name was Brownie Button, around the waist.

“Thank you. I also made fresh bread today.” Brownie said, pointing at a steaming poofy loaf of bread on the counter. Goldie nodded at it, smiled, then curled up in Brownies lap. Brownie looked down at Goldie, and smiled, releasing she was pretty sleepy. He kept playing the game, a smile on his face.

“I married the right mare.” He said with a smile.

The night was uneventful, just a normal beautiful night. The stars were out, and the moon shone. But the night masked the horror that was happening.

In the Crystal Empire, a dark shadow started to fill the land. As Princess Cadence and Shining Armour slept, the shadow started its destruction as it reflected itself around Equestria. A cancer was forming, and no one knew.

Until morning.

Author's Note

Hello, how are you liking the story? This is my first story using my ponysona Goldie Sugar, my special some ponie's ponysona, and lots of my original characters.
This is the first story in a trilogy: Sunset, Midnight, and Sunrise.

Chapter 2

“Goldie, Goldie! Wake up.” Brownie Button said, shaking Goldie Sugar. The couple was laying in a soft warm bed. It was morning, but the sunlight wasn’t filtering through the window.

Goldie stirred, and lifted her head, “What's wrong Brownie?” Goldie asked, with a concerned look on her face.

“Goldie, something is wrong.” Brownie Button said, a nervous frown on his face, “ The sun, and most of the light, is gone!” Goldie shot up and jumped out of the bed. She opened up the windows and gasped.

There was no sun, not much light except lamps and candles lit by frantic ponies all across Ponyville. Goldie gasped and pulled Brownie out of bed by his short red tail. He grabbed his glasses, and galloped outside were Goldie was.

Goldie was standing in the mist of the street, were ponies galloped wildly and screamed in the darkness. Brownie stood next to her, mouth wide open at the sky. It was dark as if an inkwell had been broken and filled the sky.

“But, it's morning…” Brownie stammered.

“Don’t… worry… Brownie,” Goldie stammered, “The Mane 6 will help us.” Brownie nodded with a worried look on his face, as he stood and stared at the sky with Goldie.

That was, until a royal guard galloped into Ponyville, shouting “Equestria at War! Mane 6 taken captive by King Sombra! All able-bodied ponies wanted for battle!”

Goldie and Brownie looked at each other, crestfallen.

The couple trotted back into their house, lighting candles when they got inside. Brownie Button nervously started eating some bread, as Goldie Sugar started to pace, trying to think of what was going on right now.

“Why is it so dark? Scientifically, even if Celestia forgot to raise the sun, there would still be a bit more light out. It wouldn’t be that dark outside!” Goldie ranted, her heart rising in her stomach.

“Could this be something with Sombra?” Brownie Button said, looking at Goldie, then outside a window.

“Wait… yah…” Goldie said, her eyes popping wide open, “If hate fills the Crystal Empire, then hate and darkness will be reflected all across Equestria… meaning…”

“Sombra and the Crystal Empire will be Equestria's downfall,” Brownie said, shoving a cupcake in his mouth. His eyes were wide open filled with fear and worry. Goldie wiped from crumbs from Brownies chest, then looked outside again.

“They said we’re at war. They need me. I’m a surgical technologist, they’ll need me out there on the battlefield.” Goldie said, rearing up on her hind legs to see better outside.

Brownie Button adjusted his glasses nervously, and remarked, “Well, I can make weaponry, they'll need me too.”

“But Brownie! You can stay at home and take care of our home till I come back-”

“Goldie, You don’t really need to go, We can stay here and wait this out. I can still make weaponry here you know.” Brownie said, putting a hoof on Goldie's side.

“Well, we’ll see what happens. But if they need me, I’ll be there.” Goldie said, with a small smile on her golden face. She looked at Brownie, who had a frown on his face, and worry clouding his eyes.

“It just isn’t right.” Goldie Sugar mumbled, concerned and worried.

The day passed on without much happening. Goldie and Brownie stayed inside baking and playing video games. They peeked outside a bit, but only to see darkness and frantic ponies, galloping this way and that.

“I wonder what the Princesses are up to.” Brownie Button remarked as he was playing Team Foaltress Two. Goldie Sugar looked up from a bowl of sugar cookie batter and cringed.

“I don’t know, I think they are trying to do something. After all, they are the protectors of Equestria.” Goldie said with a frown as she added cocoa powder into the mix.

“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be at work?” Brownie asked, confused.

“I have an off day,” Goldie said, tossing Brownie a schedule.

“Oh, sorry, I forgot…” Brownie said sheepishly, using his golden tinged magic to pick it up. His cheeks turned pink through his tannish coat, as he read the paper

“We were supposed to go out tonight… but I forgot…” He said, feeling guilty. Goldie frowned, then smiled sweetly.

“It’s alright Brownie, after all of this strangeness happening, I can understand.” She said, trotting up to Brownie and sitting next to him after she put the cookies in the oven.

The two curled up and played Team Foaltress two, and ate sugar cookies, not thinking about what was happening, until a knock sounded at their door.

Goldie answered the door with Brownie and gasped. At her door was an exhausted Wonderbolt, wearing a torn up uniform. Goldie gasped as she recognized the light blue coat and the long dark blue mane streaked with rose gold.

“Paris! What are you doing here?” Goldie asked, pulling the Wonderbolt into the cottage.

“Wow! I didn't recognize you Paris!” Brownie Button said, grabbing the mare a glass of water. Paris took off her dark blue goggles, revealing her distressed eyes.

“Paris Midnight Sugar, my poor sister, why are you here?” Goldie asked, handing her a cookie.

“I have awful news big sis, really big news,” she said. She pulled a little black hamster with clear blue wings out of her mane and petted it slowly.

“Celestia, Luna, and Cadence have fallen into a coma, and they have some rocky crust on their horns.” Paris paused, and took a breath, “The best doctors in Equestria are tending to them, but nothing seems to be working.”

“That's why nothing is happening, you know, with the weather, light… wow.” Brownie Button said, shocked and a little queasy looking.

“So what does that mean, for Equestria?” Goldie Sugar asked, nervousness tinting her voice.

“Well, I think you heard, but we are at war… and we all have to fight in it.”

Chapter 3

The sky was darkened, inky black. Dust and dirt swirled in the air, and the hills were desolate near the Crystal Empire. The empire hadn't sparkled and shined for five months, and all of Equestria was feeling how awful it was.

A harking feeling filled the hearts of ponies who knew of the Equestria before this, a time before the blackness and hate.

And for Battle Surgeon Goldenrod Sugar, that feeling always filled her heart.

Two lines faced each other on a once grassy plain, glaring at each other under a cliff face that overlooked the plain. On the left were heavily armored ponies with a green sheen in their eyes. The soldiers of King Sombra. On the right was the soldiers of Equestria, wearing golden armor and purple and red plumes on their helmets. In front of the crowd of ponies on the right was Shining Armor, wearing a brilliant set of armor. And on the left side, was King Sombra.

Shining Armor glared at King Sombra, then yelled as loud as he could, “Charge!” and a whole crowd of ponies rushed at King Sombra’s army, yelling loudly and brandishing weapons, from magic to swords, to machine guns.

In the back of the charge was Goldenrod Sugar, galloping behind the army, with white saddlebags with red crosses on them. She also had a small pistol in her saddlebag loop, just in case. She yelled loudly and charged behind along with Nurse Redheart and other surgeons and nurses. She looked up and saw a squadron of Wonderbolts flying above the group, zooming in to attack. She got a glimpse of Paris and A.J., Paris’ flying hamster, and first hamster (or other creature instead of a type of pony) Wonderbolt.

The Wonderbolts flew over the army, and then shot down close the ground, and started to attack the army of King Sombra, brandishing swords and small guns. They worked on taking out the first wave of on the ground soldiers, as the army of Equestria advanced on the army of King Sombra.

But King Sombra’s army had their own aerial fighters too. A large group of Pegasi rose from the top of the overhanging cliff face and started to dive bomb the Wonderbolts and Equestrian army.

Goldenrod looked up and saw a masked pegasus divebomb her, and she swerved out of the way. She looked behind her and saw a cloud of dirt go up as the pegasus hit the ground.
When the cloud of dust and dirt disappeared, she saw a broken pegasus, with its wings all mangled and legs and neck bent funny. Goldenrod wished she could help it, but she had to keep galloping.

The battle was already in full swing. Pony vs pony, clashing and harming each other. It was a brutal and pain filled sight, but Goldenrod had a job to do. She saw a pony in gold armor on the ground, bleeding heavily from her leg. Goldenrod cantered up to her, and pulled out a sterile cloth and rubbing alcohol to sterilize the wound. She then took a needle and stitched up the wound, and wrapped it in a bandage. The pony leaped to her feet and raced back into battle.

Goldenrod looked up and saw another aerial soldier of King Sombra, and she saw the bullet coming her way. But she didn’t have any time to react. She felt a burning and tearing feeling in her lower abdomen, and she fell to the ground in shock.

Everything got fuzzy, and Goldenrod heard the shouts of Nurse Redheart and the pounding of her heart. Then, everything was coated in a wash of black.

Chapter 4

At the same time.

The factory was dimly lit and musty and smelled of metal and damp fabric. The rain was beating hard against the glass windows that let very little light into the upper rooms of the dreadful factory. The factory sat outside Ponyville, and the commute was thirty minutes to and from. Benches were everywhere, and sweaty ponies sat on stools near them, working on guns, cannons, and other artillery.

Near a window, sat a frazzled, very exhausted Brownie Button, putting together a long rifle with a sad face. Brownie wasn’t normally the healthiest and most-in-shape unicorn out there, but in the past few months, the commute was longer and harder. He was constantly tired, and every morning, a wave on nausea greeted him. It was unusual, but he never brought it up to Goldie Sugar, for she was busy all the time, with being a battle surgeon. He barely saw her at all anymore, and it made him always have a weight in his chest whenever he wasn’t with her. Poor Goldie had said the same thing, and both wished for the war to end soon.

“I hope it ends, I need it to end,” Brownie mumbled under his breath, putting the finishing touches on the weapon. He trotted up to a cart and placed the rifle on a stack of weapons that would be carted out to the war. He grabbed some parts from another pony near him and started assembling another long rifle.

He started placing the parts into there places when he felt a flutter in his abdomen. It was a strange feeling, alien at most. He freaked out when he looked back on all the symptoms he’d had the last few months.

He had another pony get to work on the long rifle, and he left to tell the manager he was going off work for a bit. He got excused early for “medical reasons” and he went to see a doctor, one of the few in Ponyville.

For some reason, Ponyville was frantic. Ponies were sacking stores and places, thinking the apocalypse was coming. Brownie just trotted past them all, trying to not get sucked into all the drama and chaos going on around him. He just kept trotting to the doctor's office, while he realized was going to be packed to the roof. Brownie found himself trotting into the Everfree Forest, knowing that Zecora, a friend of all Ponyville, was there.

The forest was even darker than it used to be, and a bit more spooky. Brownie pulled a handgun out of his leather saddlebags using his golden tinted magic. He knew of the dangers around him, and it made his stomach churn nervously. He heard the stories of Timberwolves and the other creatures that live in the forest. He clicked the handgun from safety to active.

The trees rustled with the breeze and soft rains that fell. It was cool and nice, which felt good to Brownie Buttons sweaty coat. He looked out into the darkness and saw the faint outline of a mud and tree hut, the living area of Zecora, the friendly Ponyville shaman. He smiled, and galloped to the hut, and knocked on the wooden door with his hoof.

“Zecora! Zecora! I need your help!” Brownie Button cried out, nervously.

The door opened, and he was greeted by the comforting face of Zecora, “Come in, come in Brownie Button, I have made a bunch of sweets so you can be a glutton.” She said, pulling Brownie Button into the hut.

Brownie cringed when Zecora said “glutton”, but he forgot about it when he saw a massive array of treats on a table in Zecora's hut. It was a load of treats Brownie and Goldie loved, and he had to refrain himself from diving in.

“So, what's with the array of treats Zecora?” Brownie Button asked, a little skeptical.

“Oh, a party I am having, and the treats are for the planning,” Zecora said, pulling a batch of cupcakes out of a stone oven.

“Aren’t you doing anything for the war, Miss? I don’t think right now is the time for treats…” Brownie said, his jaw clenching up a little.

“This party is for going away, for I have no reason to stay. The front lines need me, as you can see.” Zecora said, gesturing to a uniform sitting on a bench. It was pale blue with gold streaks and looked as if it were made of silk and chainmail.

“To help my people is simple. To go to war is more.” Zecora continued, pouring Brownie Button a glass of tea. Brownie sniffed it and took a sip. He didn’t have that gut feeling something bad would happen to him, a gut feeling he trusted. He smiled and sipped at the tea.

“Now, no more of me speaking, now you, reveal what you are thinking…” Zecora said, standing over a cauldron in the middle of her room.

Brownie trotted up to Zecora, and peered into the cauldron, “That was a question I hoped you would answer. What is going on with me?” He asked, peering into the cauldron, then looking Zecora dead in the eye.

“Well, what are you feeling? I need to know for the dealings.” Zecora rhymed, looking at Brownie Button with a skeptical look.

“Well, hungry, but nauseous…” Brownie said, cautiously. Zecora peered at him and smiled.

“Well, from what you said, and your symptoms its lead, I have the answer you seek, but it’s not for the meek,” Zecora said, with a smile as she looked over Brownie. Brownie Button cringed inwardly, afraid of what she was going to say. A parasite? A disease? an organic chip in your brain that can control you if activated by an order, preferably order 66?

(I am so sorry… R.I.P. Fives and Tup)

“Well come on, tell me Zecora… tell me!” Brownie Button pleaded nervously.

“The thing causing all this excitement is that you are pregnant.”

Chapter 5

Goldenrod opened her eyes to find herself laying on a cot in a large medical tent. Goldenrod recognized were she was. She was in the makeshift surgical ward for the war. It was large and busy after the last battle, even know many ponies were filtering out after getting fixed up.

Goldenrod then remembered what happened to her, and looked down at herself. She had a large bandage around her waist, and a few drains put in place. She summoned a nurse and asked what happened.

“Well, we won the battle today, and well…” The nurse trailed off and looked away.

“What? What's wrong?” Goldenrod asked, angrily.

“It took a bit... but we were able to heal most of your internal organs…it was pretty easy, we did have to redo some of your intestinal tract... but… you only have less than half of your reproductive system left.” The nurse looked at Goldenrod sadly, and shook her head, “We couldn’t fix it. There wasn’t much of it left.” Goldenrods jaw dropped open, but then she closed it.

“Never mind it. I have a job to do. I am a surgeon, and my job is out on the battlefield and inhere. How long until I am healed?” Goldenrod asked suddenly.

“With the spell used, a little less than an hour. Besides, in two hours we will be moving out to a new area. Some of the scouts intercepted a message from one squadron of King Sombra’s army to another, telling of an attack they are planning on Ponyville.” The nurse said, giving Goldenrod a needle filled with a pain reliever. Goldenrod injected it into her side, then stood up quickly, and winced in pain.

“That's was Brownie Button lives!” Goldenrod said, trying really hard to stand up straight through the pain.

“Who is Brownie Button?” The nurse asked, bracing Goldenrod as she started to walk out of the tent.

“My husband!” She said frantically, “We need to move out soon! King Sombra’s army is fast! They’ll get there before we can even…” Goldenrod collapsed on the ground, holding her side.

“Are you alright Mrs. Goldenrod?” The nurse said, helping Goldenrod up.

“Damn it hurts… but the meds will kick in soon.” She said trotting up slowly to a pony holding her medical saddlebags. She put them on her, sucked in her breath, and trotted to a creek nearby after shooing away the nurse to go help out another pony.

Goldenrod dipped her face into the water, clearing off all the dirt and sweat on her face from the last battle. It felt nice and refreshing. Unlike the war that was going on at the time. Goldenrod looked up at the sky and saw how dark it was still. There was no light from the sky, and the princesses were still in a coma, not able to be woken up. The black rocky substance on their horns was growing all around their bodies, encapsulating them. The doctors caring for the princesses said their vital signs were going down slowly, and they couldn’t find a way to stop it.

Goldenrod looked off into the sky, wishing that something could happen, that maybe this war could end and the light could come. But right now, there was no princesses, and no Mane 6. Everything seemed to be going wrong, and Goldenrod wished something could go right for once.

Goldenrod took off the bandage around her waist, grimaced at the awful wound that was sewn up, and bathed for a little bit. It felt good, and she soon trotted out of the creek, dried off, put on her saddlebags, and met up with the rest of the battle nurses and surgeons.

“So, are we going to Ponyville?” Goldenrod asked, nervous and a bit excited to see her home and her husband. The other battle surgeons and nurses nodded their heads.

“Yup. and according to the scout's calculations, if we get there by two thirty pm, we will intercept King Sombra’s army before they get to Ponyville.” a peppy nurse said with a smile on her face. Goldenrod nodded happily and started to trot with the rest of the group as they moved on to the armies next destination.

In front of the battle surgeons and nurses, there was the infantry, and behind was the ponies hauling the equipment like large guns and tents. It wasn’t really like moving to a new destination, it was more like moving to a new battlefield. There were still ponies at the camp to defend and help other ponies heal up.

“I just heard that they sent a few scouts ahead to warn Ponyville about King Sombra’s army, so they could get to safety and get armed.” A nurse said from in front of Goldenrod. Goldenrod smiled, knowing that the love of her life and her town was going to be safe. Goldenrod looked above to see the Wonderbolts streak through the sky silently, ready for anything. She spotted Paris, her sister alongside her pet flying hamster who was wearing a similar Wonderbolt outfit as Paris and the rest of the Wonderbolts. Goldenrod smiled at her sister, who smiled back.

The whole day seemed to go from awful to good, and Goldenrod found herself in a good mood as they trotted to Ponyville.

That was until they got to Ponyville.

That is, what was left of Ponyville.

Chapter 6

“Let go of me! Stop! Please!” cryed a tannish coated stallion as he, alongside many other ponies, was pulled out of the town by the large brutish ponies of the army of King Sombra. A stallion had wrapped his hooves around the tannish stallion with the red hair and glasses, and hoisted him up into a cage, alongside many other ponies in Ponyville. Many of the ponies were screaming, or crying faces pale with fear and fright. Brownie Button felt the same. He was terrified. He just discovered what was going on with him, and now he, alongside many others, was being kidnapped and taken to who knows were?

But all Brownie could think was about Goldie.

Both armies were charging each other outside of Ponyville, feathers and fur flying. Goldie was scampering around the battlefield, hoping to see Paris or Brownie Button. But she saw neither. She looked up and saw the Ariel fighters, flying towards King Sombra’s army, weapons in hand. She saw Paris leading the attack, not even using her weapon. She was kicking and punching other ponies midair. She was truly a badass.

But then, a streak of green, blue and purple flew above Goldenrod, flying towards King Sombras ariel army. The pony, or at least what looked like a pony flew faster than anything Goldenrod ever saw. But the streak stopped next to Paris, and Paris nodded at it. Goldenrod then had a clear view of who it was. It was a bat pony, with deer-like features. She had a light purple body, and a green, blue and purple streaked mane. She also had piercing pink eyes, slitted like a bat ponies. She was lean, fast, and very awesome. She flew ahead of Paris and was smacking and kicking ponies out of the air alongside Paris.

But then Goldenrod looked up at a hill near Ponyville and gasped. A group of King Sombra’s soldiers was hauling a huge cannon up a hill, and when they got to the top, they secured it down and loaded it with some strange black dust.

Goldenrod barely had time to think when a loud booming sound flooded her hearing, and the ground shook. Goldenrod covered her ears, alongside all the soldiers on the field. She looked up and saw a streak of black and green smoke trailing the bat pony.

And that smoke hit one of the bat pony's wings, and the wing exploded and disappeared. The bat pony plummeted to the ground, right above Goldenrod. Goldenrod galloped to the falling pony and caught her. Goldenrod lifted the pony on her back and shot off.

“She barely weighs a thing!” Goldenrod mumbled to herself as she galloped off the field with the unconscious bat-pony on her back. She had to get as far away from the battle as she could, to save this strange pony’s life.

She heard the pounding of bullets near her and realized she was getting shot at by King Sombra’s ariel soldiers. She galloped faster than she ever could, ignoring the burning pain in her side as her wound tried opening up. But she kept going. She felt a bullet graze one of her back legs, but she knew she had a patient that she needed to save, even know she didn’t even know this pony. But soon, King Sombra’s soldiers quit pursuing her, and she galloped off into the hills, towards the Equestrian armies base.

Soon, Goldenrod found herself at the base, about to collapse of exhaustion. A few soldiers and battle nurses greeted her and took the pony off her back.

“We’ll try to do all we can, but we need you. You're the only surgeon here.” One of the nurses said, pale-faced. Goldenrod felt warm, sticky blood drip down her side, but she nodded and followed the nurses into the surgery tent, where they got to work stopping the bleeding from the ponies severed wing, and trying to save this heroic pony.

Soon, the operation was over, and Goldenrod stitched herself up and flopped on the grass outside. She started to sob profusely, saddened by everything. Many ponies were dying, and her hometown was destroyed and taken over. It hurt, emotionally and even physically.

“Well, they did say, a rainbows tail isn’t quite as nice as the story we knew of sugar and spice…”

Chapter 7

He had no idea how long they were moving, how many days he had been away from Ponyville. All he knew was they were farther and farther away from their home. Mountains, hills, plains, snow, and darkness they passed and no one in the little-blackened cart knew where they were going. Some cryed, some screamed for help, some banged their head on the walls of the cart, angry and confused. Brownie Button sat in the back, not saying a word, watching out a little knothole in one of the walls. All he could tell was that days were passing, and they were further and further from Ponyville.

On this particular day, Brownie found himself feeling very faint and tired. He had stayed awake all those nights, not even getting a wink of sleep. But that gave him an idea. He scooted over to a shaking orange coated, white-maned stallion, whose name was Orangesicle.

“Hey… Orange! Psst! Orange!” Brownie said, poking the shaking stallion with his hoof.

“W-wha?” Orangesicle said, looking at Brownie with a sad look in his eyes. Brownie smiled tiredly and said to the stallion.

“I have… a way… to save you all…” Brownie said, feeling faint.

Soon, Brownie had formulated a plan between all the ponies in the cart, and they were ready to execute it. Brownie layer down, and let a little spittle run down his untrimmed beard. He closed his eyes and went limp. Then, Orangesicle yelled up at the ponies pulling the cart.

“Dude! This guy dead! He’s limp! He’s dead! He’s stinkin’ up the place!” Orangesicle called out through a little window in the front of the cart. The ponies pulling the cart pulled over, and Brownie and the other nine ponies in the cart heard the hoofsteps of a pony coming to open up the cart.

“Get ready,” Brownie whispered, and the rest of the ponies pulled themselves into a stance, holding wooden shanks they made from the sides of the cart.

A soldier opened up the back, and nine of the ponies in the cart burst out, running in a group to Ponyville as fast as they could. Brownie Button gave them a spell of strength so that they would be able to run for miles on miles.

But as Brownie Button was trying to sneak out of the cart, one of the soldier ponies pushed him to the ground, and started shouting into his ears:

“Oh, so you're trying to escape too, aren’t yah? Well, you aren’t getting anywhere. You’re staying with us and going to the slave camps, you pathetic little mare.” The soldier smacked Brownie around, bruising and bloodying him. All Brownie was able to do was protect his abdomen from the punches and kicks. Soon, after all the beating, Brownie, alongside a couple new colts and stallions were put in the cart, and the soldiers kept going to their destination, which was in the Rocking Pony Mountains.

Soon, the cart stopped after a rocky climb, and the back door was opened up. Brownie looked out and saw the horror of it all. Ponies were being beaten by other ponies, and many ponies cryed out in pain and fear. The darkness of the sky seemed even darker now, and the mountains cast an evil shadow on the slave camp. Brownie looked at it all, horrified and scared. Then, he felt a rope tightened on his neck and felt himself getting tugged out of the cart and into the middle of the camp by a masked, armored soldier. He looked around and saw the other ponies that were in the cart were being dragged into the middle alongside Brownie.

The ponies around Brownie were nervously murmuring, pale and scared. Then, a taller unicorn trotted up to them and stood up on a box in front of the group of terrified ponies. The pony had a dark blue coat, with a light green mane, matted with dust and mane-gel.

“Hello, ponies…” The Stallion said, looking down at the disheveled ponies with piercing green eyes, “May I be the first to say, Welcome to the Dark Skies Slave Camp.”

“Where are we!?” A little grey colt cryed out, grasping the leg of a maroon stallion.

“Well, you’re in the middle of nowhere little colt.” the stallion said with a booming laugh. He paused, then said, “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Crystal Mud, the pony running this entire camp.” He said proudly.

“Where are the mares?” Brownie Button asked hesitantly.

“This is an all-stallion camp,” Crystal Mud said, with a smirk, “There are no mare camps. They are just taken to the Crystal Empire, and well, you know.” he said, with a wink.

“You little piece of filthy-” Brownie lunged at Crystal Mud, but was pulled back by the stallion at the end of his rope, and Brownie dropped to the ground in a heep.

Crystal Mud hopped off his box and trotted up to Brownie. He put his face up to Brownies and smirked.

“You’re sure a fiesty one. I’ll have you sent to the mines here, then you can use all the energy up.” He paused, and said, “ I can break any stallion, and that means, I can break you.”

“You won't get away with this.” Brownie panted, as he was being held to the ground, “Goldie Sugar will come for me. I know that.”

“We’ll see about that.” Crystal Mud said with an evil smile as he used his purple-tinted magic to pull out a tranquilizer gun from the box, and shot Brownie with it in the thigh.

He trotted away, leaving the soldier stallions to bring the slave ponies to their hut homes.

Crystal Mud found himself in a little canvas hut, trotting up to some weird cauldron looking idem. He grabbed a green fizzy potion from the ground and broke open the bottle into the cauldron. A cloud of green and black smoke filled the canvas tent. Crystal Mud bowed down.

The smoke shaped into a stallion, that looked down at Crystal Mud with a glare in his green and red, smoking eyes.

“What is it, Mud?” King Sombra asked, with a hint of annoyance in his eyes. Crystal Mud covered, then spoke up, softly.

“I believe there may be an obstacle I might need to deal with.” Crystal said, still keeping himself to the ground.

“And that is?” King Sombra asked with a hint of annoyance and irritation in his shady voice.

With a frown, Crystal Mud said:

“A… Goldie Sugar…”

Chapter 8

The darkness felt like it was getting darker, deeper into every crevice and into every heart. Ponies were giving up, too tired to fight anymore. They succumbed to the darkness, to become a slave or the darkness, a puppet. Exhaustion led to darkness, darkness led to death.

But Goldie and her team of battle surgeons and Nurses didn’t let that get to them. They stayed strong and fought the darkness, hoof on hoof.

They fought, not on the battlefields, but in a surgical tent. They fought not for a country.

But for a single pony, lying on a table, bleeding profusely as life was leaving her body.

It was the ponies job in that tent to save this strange ponies life, and help her fight the darkness that surrounded the tent, ready to close in and consume the pony and lead her to death.

Goldie worked hard, sweat coating her yellow coat, and soaking her magenta hair. Tool by tool was passed to her, helping her clamp blood vessels and ligate bones and repair muscles. The bleeding kept on, and Goldie would put her hooves onto the wound, preventing blood to get out. She pushed on the wound and put all her effort into stopping the flow of blood and fixing this pony. Tool by tool passed through her hooves, and she did everything. She pulled that pony from the darkness.

And soon, all the bleeding stopped, and the nub of was a wing used to be, was closed up and safe from infection. A unicorn nurse put a spell over the nub, one that would make sure nothing got into the wound.

That team of surgeons and nurses fought to pull a pony from the darkness, battling with scalpels, forceps, and clamps. And they won. _/(.c.)\_ (Hand-stand)

Goldenrod pulled off her partner's gloves, as her partner, a blank flanked unicorn named Silver Scope, used his blue magic to pull off Goldenrod’s. Even know it was battle, sterilizing and cleaning tactics tried to stay the same as ones at normal hospitals.

Silver Scope looked at Goldenrod and noticed something seemed off about her. Scope, the sweet colt he was, decided to ask Goldenrod what was eating at her.

“Mrs. Sugar. May I ask a question?” Silver Scope asked, trotting to Goldenrod’s side.

Goldenrod looked at him, and smiled a little, “Sure, Go ahead,”

“Ma'am, what’s… bothering you?” Silver Scope asked, a bit shyly. Goldenrod looked at him and smiled as a few tears fell down her golden face.

“I… I… lost him.” She said, trying to hide her face from Silver Scope. He put a hoof on her side, in a calming manner, and asked, “Who?”

“Brownie Button! That's who! The stallion of my life!” Goldenrod said, tears streaming down her face as she looked in the direction of Ponyville and yelled out her answer.

Silver Scope was shocked by Goldenrods loud, angry voice. He was used to Goldenrod’s normally sweet, but commanding voice. He backed up a little from the distressed mare. He took a breath, breathing in the dry, dusty air, and sighed.

“I don’t really know what I can do to help you, but,” Silver Scope smiled a little. Goldie smiled and knew what he was going to do.

“Darkness rises, from the crevices of the soul, blacker than miners coal.” Silver Scope sang, soulfully. Goldie noticed that the sky around them started to be a little bit darker.

A smile then spread across Scope’s face, and a small burst of light filled his eyes.

“But the sunshine in your heart takes down all the dark! You’ve at least got hope and joy, and peace fills your mind!” Scope sang, trotting around Goldie.

“But darkness rises, inside my soul…” Goldie said with a mourning tone. Scope looked at her and lifted her dipped head with his grey hoof.

“But in the light, in the dark, you will shine through it all.” Silver Scope sang to Goldie, who started to smile.

“Cause when it all falls down in the land, you’re the one who raises it back up!” Scope sang, as some sort of light seemed to fight thru the clouds, and revealed a patch of light. The light fell on Goldie who was standing open-mouthed at it all.

“The light of the heart is what lights up the sky!” Goldie sang, soaking in the sunshine. It felt like a breath of fresh air, seeming the colors around her again.

“Scoping out the light, in our hearts and of the sky, we’ll be fine, in the rain and shine!” Silver Scope sang. Just then, the light of the sky pinpointed on Silver Scopes blank flank, and it seemed to shimmer. The light then formed a shape, and then expanded off his flanks and turned back into the gap from the clouds. Goldie looked at his flank and gasped.

A silver and blue stethoscope was on his hip, with music notes at the end of it. It fit him perfectly.

“We’ll be fine! I’m the rain and the shine!” Both of the ponies sang happily as the light seemed to get wider and wider.

The light-filled everything, bringing new life to the camp. Nurses and other ponies came out of the tents and gasped at the light. An opening in the clouds seemed to span through the entire camp, illuminating everything.

“We’ll be fine! I’m the rain and the shine!”

Chapter 9

A stirring sensation filled Goldie's chest as she sang, something that told her “Brownie is alive, he’s alright”. The darkness was cleared from her head, and the color returned to her body. It felt like she was laying in a cushion of warm clouds.

The darkness fled from the song of the ponies in the camp, scared of the light that was being emitted from them.

And suddenly, something happened to all of the ponies. They started to float off the ground, with strange light surrounding them. Their manes and tails doned more colors, and their whole selves changed a bit. They become brighter and stronger.

They were almost, powering up in a way.

“Like the Mane Six!” Goldie exclaimed as she started to be lifted off the ground, and filled with light. Neon green streaks started to twist their way artfully through her mane and tail, and she started having little pink and green markings on her coat, little stuff like dots in the right places. She even had pink fetlocks, kinda like Brownie Buttons red fetlocks.

Everything was full of light, even the surgical tools, and the tents.

In the Crystal Empire, King Sombra sat on a throne in the castle, commanding slaves to do such and such. But then, something felt weird. Something hurt him. He clutched his chest with his armored hoof. He got up and trotted outside onto a balcony. He gasped at the sight. Light and pastel colors were coming towards the Crystal Empire, almost unzipping the darkness of the sky as it came. King Sombra gritted his teeth and fired up his green and purple magic form his red-hot horn. He fired a boiling, bubbling blast of green and purple magic at the light.

In an explosion of sparks, the stream shrunk back but didn’t disappear.

King Sombra growled a dark sound from the back of his throat, as he tried and tried again to blast away the light. But it wasn’t working.

A… Goldie Sugar he said… King Sombra thought with a smirk. Then King Sombra had an idea. He closed his eyes and followed the path of the rainbow in his mind. Then, he saw where this all was coming from.

A little war camp near Ponyville. He opened his eyes and smiled. He fired up his horn and transported himself into the mind of a yellow coated mare who was singing. He smiled as she fell down and started convulsing. She closed her eyes, and when they opened, they looked just like King Sombra’s.

Goldie Sugar didn’t know what was happening. She was singing, then all the sudden, she felt immense pain in her head and chest.

It scared her.

“You think… that your puny songs could destroy me? You are so wrong my little pony… you are so wrong.” Goldie heard that voice whispered into her mind, and she clenched her eyes closed.

But when she opened her eyes, she was somewhere else.

“W-where am I?” Goldie asked. She was in some Royal hall, but it was darkened and black. There were torches burning at the sides of her, but they burned a green and purple bubbling flame.

“You are a puny little foal!” A voice yelled out to her, and fear filled Goldie. She looked up and saw a huge face of King Sombra staring at her.

“I am shadow! I am fire! I am a nightmare!” King Sombra yelled at Goldie. Tears of fear filled Goldie's eyes as her heart raced, filled with adrenaline.

“I destroy every little thing you love. I am the shadow. You cannot run from your own shadow, you foolish mare!” King Sombra yelled as he disappeared in the shadows.

Just then, Silver Scope and a bunch of the other ponies in the camp appeared, terrified.

“You all are stupid little foals! You cannot run from your shadow!” King Sombra yelled as he came out of the shadows.

Goldie gasped, he was a nightmare.

He looked just like Brownie Button but beaten and bleeding.

“H-help me… Goldie…” the stallion whimpering as he limped to Goldie. He collapsed on the ground in a heap, breathing hard.

“Brownie!” Goldie yelled. She tried to run to Brownie Button, but she couldn’t. Her legs felt like they wear stuck to the ground, unable to move.

But then, Brownie stopped breathing. Goldie then was able to run… but it was too late.

Goldie screamed a noise that normally the young mare didn’t make.

King Sombra… huge as could be, burst out of the shadows, laughing hysterically. Goldie found herself putting herself between the shadow and her husband.

“Aww, look at you. He's dead, but you still protect him… so cute!” King Sombra laughed with a maniacal smile. Goldie sniffed quietly, and whispered in the tannish stallion's ear:

“When life feels unbearable, I remember you are always beside me, even when you are not with me at the time.”

King Sombra laughed even harder, then got serious.

“My little pony, you are such a strong one. But that won't save who you love. You’ll only hinder them.” The shadows said, blending back into the walls with a strange, evil laugh.

Goldie realized this was all for show.

“You… you don’t scare me.” Goldie said to the shadows, stamping a hoof on the ground.

The shadows rushed up to her and flooded her vision.

“You think you're better than me you little mare?! Well, you’re not! I can kill whoever I want, and do whatever I want! I control this country, and I wouldn’t get stopped by a little Goldie mare and her friends!” King Sombra yelled, making Goldie's ear, and heart hurt.

“We will stop you,” Goldie whispered, using the last bit of her strength she had. She then collapsed on the ground, as blackness filled her vision.

Goldie's eyes popped open, and she found herself flaying on the ground in a dirty heep. She was in the camp, surrounded by other ponies that were waking up from the horrific thing that violated their brains. Ponies were helping each other up, looking at the now darkened sky, with a sense of sadness creeping into their hearts.

Silver Scope helped Goldie up, then noticed something wrong. Goldie's scar had opened up and was bleeding.

“Hey, Mrs. Goldie, somethings wrong…” Silver Scope said, pointing at Goldie's side. Goldie looked at her side and nodded.

“I know, I could feel it.” She said with a small smile.

“But what happened? We were all powerin’ up and singing, then bam! Blackness and King Sombra being a creep.” Silver Scope said, dramatically.

“I’m thinking that… we may have ticked off King Sombra!” Goldie said, with a huge smile forming on her golden face. Silver Scope smiled and realized it too.

“He wouldn’t have done that to us if we didn’t make him uncomfortable!” Silver Scope said, bucking his hooves in the air.

“But the problem is…” Goldie Sugars voice faded off, as she thought about Brownie Button, and what King Sombra said about him.

“Brownie…” She said, mumbling under her breath, inaudible to Silver Scope.

Chapter 10

She was flying, then fire. She found herself floating in a sea of darkness, paralyzed. But soon, a wash of pastel colors filled her blurred vision, and she knew something was off about her body. Something was missing.

The strange bat pony found herself laying in a canvas bed, feeling numb and strange. She looked at herself from her hooves to her neck. Everything was there. But then she tried to fold her wings. Something was off. She looked to her right. Her wing was fine, folded neatly to her side. But when she looked to her left, she was shocked.

There was only a bandaged numb where her wing should have been.

She looked around wildly, scared and wondering where she was. There was no pony else in the huge canvas tent she was in. She got off the canvas cot and started to gallop around wildly. A sweet looking nurse pony popped her head in, and then trotted outside with a concerned look on her face.

Little did she know that she would put together one of the strongest weapons for this war.

Goldie Sugar came galloping into the tent and looked at the Bat pony in awe. She was the perfect weapon this war could. Powerful body, bright pink bat eyes, and powerful wings.

Well, now only one powerful wing… that was flinging around tables and cots and surgical equipment. Goldie's large golden ears went back as a scalpel few towards her. Time seemed to slow, and she closed her eyes.

But nothing hurt her.

She popped open her eyes and saw that the scalpel was suspended in the air, held up by Silver Scopes blue magic.

Goldie Sugar nodded at him and smiled. He put down the scalpel on a mayo stand and shot a blast of blue magic at the wild bat pony. As the blue magic hit the bat pony, it wrapped around her body and made her freeze, suspended in the air in an awkward position.

She tried to move, but she couldn’t. She found herself with a shocked expression as her quickened breathing slowed down. She looked around as much as she could, trying to find out where she was.

Goldie looked into the eyes of the crazed pony and saw something.

It was a look she knew. Panic. Fear.

Goldie nodded at Silver Scope to put her down, and the Bat Pony fell to the ground, shocked. Goldie smiled an almost mother-like smile.

“Hey,” Goldie Sugar said, gently, “what's your name?”

“A-Aurora.” The Bat Pony said, trying to snap out of her fear.

“It’s alright Aurora, you’re safe.” Goldie cooed.

“What happened to my wing? Where is it?” Aurora said, voice shaking.

“You… may of have your wing… shot off.” Goldie Sugar said, trying to hold back tears as she saw the horror and grief in Aurora’s neon pink eye’s. Aurora turned her face away and wiped away a tear that fell down her light purple face.

“I… I am so sorry…” Goldie said, wrapping her hooves around Aurora. Aurora was shocked by this hug, but she didn’t feel like pulling away.

“I… wow…” Aurora said after the quick embrace was done, “no one has ever done that to me…”

“Wait, really?” Goldie asked, confused.

“I’m a weapon,” Aurora said, turning her face around due to her shame. Goldie smiled softly.

“You are a pony, not a weapon,” Goldie said, lifting the bat ponies face with her hoof.

“Are you what they call… a friend?” Aurora asked, looking into Goldie's dark brown eyes.

“Well,” Goldie said, thinking, “I guess I am.”

Chapter 11

The next couple days passed without nothing that large and important going on. More troops came to the camp, rested up, and were getting ready to move to a new location in the mountains near the Crystal Empire.

But Goldie was doing two things at a time. She was helping pack up the tents and surgical things, and she was also befriending Aurora, the most badass but also sweetest Bat pony ever. She wasn't even fully bat pony.

“My mother is a deer, my father is a bat pony,” Aurora said, pointing to her spots under her eyes and her back. Goldie thought that was really cool.

“Wow… how was that growing up?” Goldie said, wondering about all this.

“Well, my dad died when I was young, and my mom was awful…” Aurora said bitterly.

“Wow… to be honest… I feel you… I lost my father when I was young…” She said, finding herself connected to Aurora.

“I joined the army because that's what I’m passionate about, it’s how I escaped my weird past,” Aurora said, with a small smile, “I like it, it’s a huge family here.”

Later that day, Goldie was pacing around, thoughts filling her head. She was pacing under a tree near the washing creek, kicking stones around as Aurora sat under the tree, chopping her mane a little shorter.

“For safety reasons, my mane grows fast and I don’t need my mane to be grabbed… if I ever get back into the battlefield.” Aurora said, snipping a section of green out of her mane and tossing it into the river.

Goldie's eyes watered a bit. This pony is one of the best soldiers ever, and she wants to get back into the fight. But she doesn’t have any wings.
Goldie then had an idea.

“I’m making you a brand new pair of wings!” Goldie said with a smile.

“Wait.. what?” Aurora said, looking up to Goldie.

“My little sister Nebula is a huge technologic wizard. We are going to be setting up a base near her, so maybe she can help me make you new wings!” Goldie said with a huge smile.

“You… you don’t have to do that....I’m not worth your-”

“Of course you are! You’re my new friend! You’re worth the world to me!” Goldie said, grabbing Aurora by the shoulders and stood her up.

“Alright...this sounds… cool. I’ll have cyborg wings!” Aurora said with a smile forming on her light purple face.

“Yes! Exactly! And you’ll be back in the battle, fighting and stuff!”

“Yes… yes!” Aurora smiled, “I’m in!” She said, extremely joyous.

Goldie then realized it was about time to move out, so she and Aurora packed up their things in small saddlebags, and started to walk in the group of ponies, going to the mountains.

It took days and days of hiking over rocky terrain, but soon, they were there.

The camp was set up in a snowy clearing in the foresty part of the mountains near the Crystal Empire. It seemed darker there, the clouds were black as death and the shadows seemed to creep everywhere. It gave Goldie a strange feeling in her stomach. It made her queasy.

Goldie looked over to Aurora, who looked brave.

“I really love the mountains… just imagine the nature and everything.” Aurora said, looking around at the trees and mountain scenery.

“Ahh yes… I would love to make some delicious hot schmoes.” Goldie said with a jokingly tone of voice. Aurora looked at her, confused.

“You know what… if I see a snake… I’m gonna boop it!!!” Aurora roared enthusiastically. Goldie agreed with her, hoping they did see a cute little snake.

Soon, the camp was set up, and due to the little clocks made, it was nighttime. Many sleepy ponies wander around the camp, going into tents and putting up their things. Goldie trotted to her tent that she shared with Aurora and a few other nurses. She plopped on the sleeping bag next to Aurora, who was braiding a little lock of her purple, green and blue hair.

It was very cold, and Goldie started to shiver. She covered herself better and snuggled up deeper into her sleeping bag. She looked over to Aurora, who had fallen asleep with her wing flopped out, moving with her breathing.

“Oh Brownie… I hope you are doing alright…”

Chapter 12

He wasn’t sure how long he was here, or if he was ever going to get out of this. The darkness seemed to become darker and more black every day, or what seemed to be the day.

Brownie Button was working in an iron mine, pulling carts full of rock and other things. Brownie may be a draft horse, but he was never made for this type of work. Pain filled his back and joints as he pulled a wooden cart full of rocks to the camp, where the cart would be taken from him, and another cart would be attached to his harness, which he would pull back down into the mines to be filled with rock.

There were few breaks, not a lot of water, and not enough food.

Brownie did this every day, this the looming threat that he would collapse. And collapsing only meant one thing: death.

Brownie had to keep going, not just for himself, but also for Goldie Sugar and their foal. It was tiring, and many days, he wanted to give up. But something in his chest reminded him that Goldie was going to save him, and every pony in the camp.

So he kept walking on, doing his best to stay alive and take care of his unborn foal that depended on him for so much.

But one day, something happened.

Brownie was walking into the mine with the cart on his back. He was in pain and walking started to become a daunting task. Simply putting one hoof in front of the other was becoming a challenge.

But then, he heard the crack of a whip and the searing pain on his flank. He looked up with tears welling up in his eyes. Standing above him on a rock was Crystal Mud, holding a whip with his murky green magic. He had a strange, sadistic smile on his face as he leaped down to Brownie.

“You need to work faster my little pony,” Mud said, cracking the whip on Brownies side again. Brownie cried out in pain. Crystal mud started to laugh.

“Yelp for me you colt, cry!” He said, whipping Brownie again and again.

Brownie silently screamed, tired out from everything. The cart was suddenly filled with rocks, and he found himself in the middle of the camp, being lead around and beaten with that dreadful whip.

“He’s such a little workhorse, isn’t he?” Crystal Mud said, striking the whip upon Brownies side. The laughing of soldiers filled Brownies ears.

He was being a show pony for a bunch of sadistic ponies.

He had enough of this. He gathered up all the strength in his back legs and kicked the wooden cart away from him. The cart shattered, and he took off, running away from the hellhole of this camp. He galloped, faster and faster, feeling the energy surge through his muscles. It felt great. He realized he was being chased, so he did his best to run faster.

He never realized he had so much speed in him, it was always Goldie who was a fast sprinter and good jumper. He lept over fence posts, and other strange things. Many ponies around him cheered him on, looking up from their work.

He smiled and kept running.

But he never realized that what was left of his harness snagged on a fence. Brownie Button was stopped, and he was pulled backward. Like if you stretch a rubber band taut, then release it. That’s what happened to Brownie. He was thrown into the fence. In an explosion of splinters and wood, he crashed through it and fell the ground in a heep.

He looked around and saw the sadness in the eyes of the ponies looking at him. Many turned their faces away, sadly, knowing what was going to happen to him. A tear dropped down a little colts face, scared and realizing what he was about to witness.

“I’m… sorry…” Brownie Button said sadly.

He heard the hoofsteps behind him, and he laid on the ground, tired and out of breath. He looked up, and saw the piercing eyes Crystal Mud, looking into his soul. Brownie cringed and got ready for the explosion of a bullet through his head. Second by second passed, and Brownies eyes stayed shut tight, waiting for death. He thought of Goldie, his unborn foal.

But the bullet never came.

He opened his eyes and saw something that shocked him more than anything before. Crystal Mud was looking down at him, with warm eyes, full of pride. Crystal Mud grabbed Brownie’s hoof and helped him up.

Crystal Mud turned to the soldiers, and said, “I’m gonna… well… have some fun beating with this stallion in my tent. You are dismissed.” The soldier ponies trotted away, commanding that the onlooking ponies “Get back to work.”

Crystal Mud walked an exhausted Brownie Button to his huge tent and pushed the hurt stallion in quickly. Then Crystal Mud stepped in and zipped the tent shut with his magic quickly. Brownie collapsed on the ground, looking up at Crystal Mud with fear in his eyes. Crystal Mud trotted to a barrel in the back of the tent and drew up a cup of water.

He trotted up to Brownie and offered the water to Brownie.

“What are you doing to me?” Brownie asked with all the strength he had, “Torturing me? I’m already too tired, why don’t you cut to the chase.”

Crystals ears went back, and he looked away. Then he said something that kind of shocked Brownie Button to the core.

“That was not me.”

Brownie blinked and looked at Crystal Mud with the most confused face he had ever had. He tilted his head to the side and adjusted his glasses.

“What do you mean that wasn't you?! You were the one who enslaved all these ponies, and beat them all! What do you mean that wasn’t you?!” Brownie Button said angrily, standing up and backing Crystal Mud into a wall. Crystal Mud looked at Brownie with a confused face too.

“I… I was forced to.” Crystal Mud said, turning his face away from Brownie. He closed his eyes for a minute, squeezing them shut, then reopening them.

“I’m a pawn of Sombra’s… I was taken prisoner like you.” Crystal Mud started off, “I was going to be sent to a slave camp, and my husband and two coals were being taken away from me.” Crystal Mud looked at Brownie, then looked down.

“The only way I am able to get them back is to work this Celestia forsaken job for a few years. Once I meet that quota, I will have my children and husband back.”

“Wow,” Brownie Button gasped, “That’s pretty, dark.”

“It is…but,” Crystal Mud all the sudden had a hopeful look in his eye, “I heard my family is being transferred to another slave camp not too far from here. I thought since you are a pretty strong-willed pony, that you would help me free all these ponies here, and free the ponies in the slave caravan, including my family.”

Brownie looked suspiciously at Crystal, and asked: “how do you know about all of that.”

Crystal leaned into Brownies ear, and said, “I have some, connections.”

Brownie faintly smiled, used his magic to lift up the glass of water, and drank deeply. He put down the glass, then asked, “How can I trust you?”

Crystal then used his green magic (that went from murky green to sparkly clean green) and pulled a picture out of a crate.

It was a picture of a wiry pegasus with a baby pegasus and a toddler unicorn. The pegasus baby looked a lot like Crystal Mud.

“Is that… your…”

“Yes, that’s my family. The little ones are older now, but they still shouldn’t be slaves.”

“No one should be a slave,” Brownie said, looking at the whip marks on his flanks.

“I… I’m incredibly sorry… let me get you something to clear those up.” Crystal Mud said, walking to a chest and pulling out a strange potion. He gave it to Brownie to drink, and he looked at the bottle suspiciously.

“Could this hurt… foals?” Brownie asked, looking at the potion.

“What do you...oh.” Crystal Mud reacted looking at Brownies larger belly, “It won't. My husband took it when he had my foals.”

Brownie gulped down the potion, which instantly stopped all the pain and healed the scars and scrapes on his body.

“You know what.” Brownie said with a belch, “I actually trust you, say what's your name?”

“My name?”

“Yah, Crystal MUD can’t be your real name,” Brownie said, pointing to Crystal Muds green gem cutie mark.

“Well, see, my name is Crystal Iris.”

Chapter 13

The rest of the day consisted of Crystal Iris nursing Brownie back to health and getting him prepared for what was going down soon.

“Ok, the caravan is coming around 2 pm tomorrow, and there will be a big snowstorm coming in, so it will hopefully cover us just enough to attack, get everyone out of the caravan, take out some soldiers, then free the camp.” Crystal Iris said. He, Brownie Button, and a bunch of other slave ponies were in the iron mine, surrounding a crate that Crystal Iris put a piece of paper on. On the paper was a plan.

“So, we're gonna run out into a snowstorm, behind the backs of a bunch of soldiers controlled by Sombra, and literally break out a whole camp and a caravan?” Brownie Button stated with a hint of worry in his voice.

We’ll be fine. We have backup.” Crystal Iris said, with a smile. Then, he pointed his hoof over to a side of the cave. Brownie Button saw something. Someone. Somepony.

It was Orangesicle.

Brownie stared at Orangesicle, mouth agape and eye open wide. Orangesicle was leaned up against the wall of the cave, a small smirk on his face.

“How do you do Brownie Button?” He asked, trotting up to Brownie with a cocky smile.

Brownie looked at him, with a confused look.

“Aren't you like… a scaredy cat?”

“What?” Orangesicle thought, then smiled, “the thing is.. I’m bipolar. I can go from weakling to badass in a few hours.”

“Oh… Goldie was talking about how she is manic depressive, which is a nicer way of saying bipolar.” Brownie pondered out loud. Orangesicle rolled his eyes, then piped up.

“Aren’t we here to free slaves, preggo?”

“Hey,” Iris said, stepping in, “Let’s make most of the raid like we’re gonna die young.” He smiled and looked at Brownie, Orangesicle, and the slaves gathered around with a sly look in his eye.

“I hear your heart beat to the beat of the drums, oh what a shame that you came here with someone.” Iris sang, happily.

“So while you’re here in my arms,” Orangesicle sang, grabbing Brownie and swinging him around, “let’s make the most of the night like we’re gonna die young.”

“Oh, we gonna die young,” Some of the slave ponies sang, smiles and rejuvenation filling their veins.

“Young hearts, out or minds,” Orangesicle sang, poking Brownie in the gut, “running ‘til we outta time.”

“Wild ponies, lookin’ good. Livin’ hard just like we should,” Iris said, hopping on top of a crate, singing loudly, “Don’t care who’s watching as we tearin’ it up,”

“That magic that we got no-pony can touch.” Orangesicle sang, holding Brownie.

“Data redacted, expunged for sure. Everyone’s gonna dance as the snow falls down on a party,” Brownie sang, looking at Orangesicle, “For one.” He pulled away and stood in the middle of the cave room.

“Let’s make the most of the night like we’re gonna die young!” Brownie sang, a smile forming on his face.

“Lookin’ for some trouble tonight, take my hoof I’ll show you the wild side.” Orangesicle sang, looking at Brownie and outstretching his hoof.

“Like it’s the last night of our lives, we’ll keep dancin’ ‘til we die.” Iris sang happily, breaking up Brownie and Orangesicle.

“Hey, wait, are we supposed to be plannin’ out a raid, instead of flirting with a married stallion, Orangesicle?” Iris said, with a sarcastic smile. Orangesicle turned a bright shade of red and faced away for the group.

“Y-yes.” Orangesicle said, embarrassed “Alright. So we strike in the snowstorm… right?”

“It’s dangerous… not just for me…” Brownie said, looking at himself. Iris nodded.

“We’ll take special precautions with you,” Iris said, a soft smile forming on his face.

Brownie sighed, “Alright… well, I’m in. Especially when it comes to family.”

Chapter 14

The night was calm. The darkness still covered the land, and a few flakes of snow started to fall from the sky. They drifted down like angelic tears, covering the land in a cottony softness that seemed to suck up the evil and the darkness. The mountains started to become covered in that creamy whiteness, topped like whipped cream on a chocolate sundae.

Outside his canvas ‘slave’ tent, Brownie stood outside, looking at the snow that was drifting down from the grey clouded sky. A few flakes fell on his muzzle and melted into drops of water that moistened his parched lips. Brownie sighed, a white ghost of water vapor escaped his mouth, dissipating into the dark sky. All was at peace.

“Oi, today… was strange..” Brownie said, talking to himself, “So many strange things… Crystal IRIS, Orangesicle… and Orangesicle... FLIRTING with me?!” confusion filled his face.

“He wouldn’t be able to deny it. He outright flirted with me, a straight married stallion.” Brownie Button started to pace, face filled with confusion and disgust.

“I want to be his friend, but not with benefits. I already have Goldie Sugar, love her like crazy. We even have foals! I think Orangesicle is just being weird, after all, Goldie is the same way… well, she doesn’t go flirt with married mares, but she sure is one weird mare.”

“You can be sure of that.” a voice behind Brownie said. Brownie jumped and turned around. That voice sounded very familiar…

“Thunder Note?”

A grey coated stallion with a red mane and tail stood in the darkness. He was wearing a black cap and had his mane and tail cut short. His cutie mark was a grey cloud with a thunderbolt and a black music note. He has a bushy beard and mustache, and a mischievous smirk that Brownie Button could recognize anywhere.

“Well little brother, how did you get here?” Thunder Note remarked, trotting up to Brownie Button. Brownie Button smiled and embraced Thunder Note, happy as can be.

“Umm, taken from my home, slave train… you know…” Brownie Button said, rolling his eyes. He looked at his brother and laughed, “I don’t think it was fun getting you here.”

“Uh, I never was a slave.”

“Wait, wha? How did you get here then?” Brownie Button frowned.

“Crystal Boi hired me.” Thunder Note explained, “He wanted me to help out with freein’ this camp tomorrow. After all, he is a friend of mine.”

“Oh, I was afraid you,” Brownie paused and stood up on his hind legs. He looked at Thunder Note with a menacing look in his eyes and said, “The Dark Side.”

Both brothers started to laugh hysterically as snow started to fall from the sky. Thunder Note then looked at Brownie, and a small frown came upon his muzzle.

“What's wrong Thunder?” Brownie asked with head cocked to the side. Thunder looked like he had seen SCP-096.

Thunder Note shook his head, and laughed, “You must have put on some more weight or something…” Thunder Note laughed awkwardly, looking at Brownie.

“Maybe,” Brownie said, a sly smile on his face.

“Oh no. Did Goldie get you-”

“Yup. Her project worked.” Brownie smiled happily. He sat down but jumped up, eyes wide in shock.

“The ground is cold.” Brownie shivered and shook the snow out of his tail.

“Duh. It’s snowing and below freezing,” Thunder retorted, “You should probably get inside a tent and get some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day.”

“Yah, I know.” Brownie sighed, eyelids starting to droop. He said goodbye to Thunder Note and trotted to his tent, where he curled up in a bunch of blankets. Soon, the tannish stallion drifted off to sleep, as a golden mare filled his dreams and warmed his heart.

Chapter 15

“It’s said that purple mountains are a sign of something good in the future. It’s called ‘Luna’s Blessings’ down in the Crystal Empire.”

Goldie Sugar and Aurora were trotting side by side down a worn path, looking at their surroundings. Thee mountains in the darkness had a sort of a purple glow at the time. It was strange, since no pony had seen the sun or the moon, light really at all, in months.

The two new friends had helped set up camp in the mountains, laboring to get tents up and get ponies warm and safe. Then, the two ponies decided to go up to the observatory were Goldie Sugars little sister worked.

“Trust me,” Goldie assured, “My lil’ sister is the best in robotics and cybernetic-ish parts. She’ll help you make a new wing.” The two ponies trotted through the deep snow, and soon saw a little bit of light from an observatory high in the mountains. The ponies started to canter, seeing warmth and light. They soon stood outside the gleaming golden observatory, panting. Goldie reached up her hoof and knocked on the golden doors since they were locked for some unknown reason.

“ A bit strange. They never lock their doors. The observatory is normally always open to the public!” Goldie said, looking at the building then Aurora.

“Maybe it’s because of Sombra and stuff. You said big scientists work here and stuff. Maybe their working on important things that can't be disturbed.” Aurora thought out loud.

But just as Aurora finished her thought, the doors opened. A nerdy looking stallion looked at the two mares outside the door. He looked at them with curious orange eyes. He brushed a hoof through his unkempt green mane and started to speak.

“We're not having visitors right now…” He said, shyly. Goldie was able to see a nervous blush form in his light orange cheeks.

“You’ve gotta let us in,” Goldie stated, “I’m Nebula Sugars sister, Goldie Sugar.” The nerdy ponies jaw dropped, and he opened the doors wider.

“Come in! Come in! I’m so sorry...” He said, beckoning them in. It was nice and warm inside, and the two mares shook off the snow and looked around. The front lobby area was golden and warm, with a nice circle rug and a brick fireplace.

“Damn, they’ve updated the place since I’d last been here, ” Goldie said, looking around at the high golden ceiling and framed pictures of supernovas and galaxies and other space things Goldie had no clue about. A long circle stairway was in front of them, and lots of doors there everywhere too. Ponies of all shapes and sizes were bustling around, wearing lab coats and holding papers and boxes and weird scientific tools. The amount of life and activity in that area was dizzying.

“Goldie?!” A voice exclaimed from the top of the stairway. Goldie Sugar and Aurora looked up the stairwell and saw a grey coated, purple-haired unicorn, smiling brightly.

“You’re here! I missed you, big sissy!” The mare said, hopping down the stairs and landing in front of Goldie and Aurora.

“I can see happiness and cheer runs in the family,” Aurora remarked under her breath with a sarcastic sort of tone.

Goldie and her sister embraced for a bit, then they looked at each other.

“So, why are you here?” Goldie's sister (whose name is Nebula Jewel Sugar) inquired, “It’s probably not to look at planets and space.” She cocked her head and looked at Aurora.

“Well, I need a favor,” Goldie informed, looking at Aurora. Aurora’s sudden attention made her purple cheeks turn pink. Nebula looked at Aurora and noticed her missing wing, with the nub all bandaged up.

“I think I know what.” Nebula said, with a bright smile. Goldie smiled back, and Aurora tried to smile, but she didn’t know why they were smiling.

“Follow me.” Nebula said, starting to trot up the stairway. The two mares at the bottom looked at each other, and then followed the scientist pony up.

Upstairs, there were lots of ponies, bustling around, looking at telescopes and computers and weird scientific things that Goldie and Aurora never saw. It was a bit crazy.

“Don’t mind in here, this is the space division. It’s been very busy these last few months, I think you know why.” Nebula informed, leading the two mares to another large room were few ponies were. It was full of gleaming machinery and tools.

And robotics.

Chapter 16

Nebula led the two mares through a bunch of machinery and strange tools that looked almost sci-fi-ish. The room had a white, clean room look to it, but it also had posters and trinkets everywhere, giving it a playful look. A small rover like robot zoomed up to Nebula and stayed at her hooves like a dog.

“Oh! This is Rovey! He was my biggest project, to make an AI. He’s perfect, isn’t he?” Nebula said, picking up ‘Rvey’ and shoving it into the mares faces. Goldie thought the little rover-like robot was cute, but Aurora was more interested in all the cybernetic pony parts on the tables here and there. She even saw a few pegasus wings.

“I didn’t even know technology like this even existed…” Aurora lamented, shocked and surprised. Nebula trotted up to Aurora and gave her a warm smile.

“Don’t worry, I was surprised that we have the technology to make lots of things here. It’s pretty advanced. I’m still trying to get over the awe of all this tech,” Nebula laughed,” I don’t think I ever will…”

Then, Aurora saw something. It was a bunch of bars with gears, in the shape of a bat wing. It had a silver gleam, and it seemed to draw Aurora towards it. It looked as if it was an abandoned project since it was missing a few gears and didn’t have anything between the digits. But still, to Aurora, it was a beautiful creation, a blessing for her life.

“I want this.” She said, pointing her remaining wing at the metal skeleton. Nebula looked at her, confused for a second. Then the unicorn saw the shining, metal skeleton of a batwing on a workbench.

“Oh! That was my cybernetics project before Sombra came.” Nebula said, with a smile, “I thought it was going to end up as a useless piece of garbage, until now.” She said, looking at the wing, then Aurora.

“Damn, King Some-Bra kicks as- OH! A wing for Aurora!” Goldie said, snapping out of her own world. She rushed over to it and stood next to Aurora, admiring the metallic wing.

“It’s perfect!” Goldie exclaimed, eyes shining.

“Electric wings, blow my mind. But I feel alright,” Aurora started to sing, a naughty look in her neon pink eyes yes. “Never stop that's how I ride, doin’ that until I die.”

“I don’t wanna go to war, I just wanna fly some more.” She sang, jumping up onto a workbench. Goldie gave her a sideways look and laughed.

“I don’t want this war either, but I’m part of this-hither to. Everything's been blown apart. Family, relationships, foods, and arts. Darkness envelops everything seen, hopefully, family can be a light.” Goldie sang, a smile on her face.

“And soon we’ll be all back home, surrounded by love and kindness, joy and peace. All we gotta do is believe in the power of family and we’ll be fine.” Nebula sang, a small smile on her grey face.

“Hey, the past is far behind us, the future doesn’t exist! So let’s get our minds on track, come on now, let’s fight for the ones we love.” Aurora sang with Goldie.

“Come on!” Nebula cheered, holding up the wing, “Let's get this wing fixed up and on Aurora!” She used her purple-tinted magic to pick up the wing and moved it to another workbench with lots of tools. The three mares huddled over the bench alongside ‘Rovey”, and started fixing up the wing.

After a few hours, the wing was finished, full of wires and ready to be put on Aurora. Nebula added a few last touches of magic, and the wing was lifted up and put on the stump of Aurora.

And the magic started.

Aurora gritted her teeth as she felt wires poke into her flesh and start zapping at nerves, welding themselves into her body and becoming a part of her. The green, wire impregnated fabric between the digits started to glow. The end part of the fabric that on a normal bat-pony would connect with its body seemed to snake over to Aurora’s body. Then it fused itself to her body. She hissed in pain, but then, she gasped.

The pain was done.

She lifted her normal wing, then her new wing. It felt like a normal part of herself. Goldie went and touched the cool metal, and Aurora felt it, like normal skin. Aurora started to flap her wings.

It felt normal, natural.

It worked.